Swiss Chileans are

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

an citizens of

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

ancestry. There are currently 15,000 Swiss citizens residing in

, with approximately 90,000 descendants of the 19th century immigrants.

Immigration to Chile

Due to confusion with that of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, French, and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

immigrants, the actual number of Swiss Chileans varies from one source to another. In 1881, 28 years after colonization by Germans in southern Chile, special agencies were authorized to recruit Swiss emigrants. These arrived in three key periods: Between April 1876 and May 1877, a contingent received government land grants consisting of hectares of forest, woodland, and scrub land in the

Magallanes Region The Magallanes Region (), officially the Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region () or Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctica Region in English, is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. It is the southernmost, largest, and sec ...

(Agua Fresca, next to

Punta Arenas Punta Arenas (, historically known as Sandy Point in English) is the capital List of cities in Chile, city of Chile's southernmost Regions of Chile, region, Magallanes Region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. Although officially renamed as ...

). These farmers proceeded to transform the region into agricultural lands suitable for pasture and crop farming. In 1880, Don Francisco De B. Echeverría was appointed to lead the Agency for Colonization and Immigration. Agent General Benjamin Davila Larrain was entrusted with the recruitment of settlers. Following the end of resistance to occupation by indigenous Mapuche in the 1880s, large areas of land were advertised to European settlers, many of whom were experiencing economic hardship. The Chilean government invited Swiss emigrants on the condition they settle in Araucanía, to cultivate it and create arable land for crops and livestock. The first contingent departed in November 1883; their success would direct future emigration authorizations.

Land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

s were awarded to an estimated 8,000+ families . The preparation of the convoys meant the operation of a real network. Shipping companies, especially the English "Company of the Pacific", ensured the French port of

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

as a regular line which had the steamships Valparaíso Cotopaxi, Potosi, Sorata, The Valparaíso, Aconcagua and Britain, among others, as the main boats that sailed Swiss settlers.

Mass immigration

The first large group of immigrants composed of 1,311 families landed in Valparaíso on 19 December 1883. Between 1883 and 1886 they were shipped to the territory of Araucanía; 12,602 Swiss, representing 7% of emigration Switzerland overseas. The operations continued to evolve until 1890, when 22,708 Swiss were spread over the 31 colonies in the heart of the Araucania; 72.7% of emigrants settled in the 7 most important colonies of the time: Victoria, Traiguén, Faja Maisan, Temuco, Quino, Galvarino, Ercilla, and Pitrufquen. The last recorded mass exodus of Swiss to Chile, during 1915 to 1950, recorded 30,000 residents installed in the central region, primarily in

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

and Valparaíso.Suizos en Chile.

Notable Chileans of Swiss descent

Hernán Büchi Hernán Alberto Büchi Buc (; born March 6, 1949) is a Chilean economist who served as minister of finance of the Pinochet dictatorship. In 1989 he ran unsuccessfully for president with support of Chilean right-wing parties. Early life Büchi w ...

, economist, politician * Jean Philippe Cretton, TV presenter, musician *

Karen Doggenweiler Karen Sylvia Doggenweiler Lapuente (27 August 1969) is a popular Chilean journalist and TV presenter. Biography Doggenweiler is the daughter of Félix Doggenweiler Heim, of Switzerland, Swiss-Germans, German descent and Silvia Lapuente, of Sp ...

, journalist, TV hostess * Kristel Köbrich Schimpl, swimmer * Stefan Kramer, actor, comedian *

Eduardo Frei Montalva Eduardo Nicanor Frei Montalva (; 16 January 1911 – 22 January 1982) was a Chileans, Chilean political leader. In his long political career, he was Minister of Public Works, president of his Christian Democratic Party (Chile), Christia ...

, President of Chile (1964–1970) *

Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle Eduardo Alfredo Juan Bernardo Frei Ruiz–Tagle (; born 24 June 1942) is a Chilean politician and civil engineering, civil engineer who served as president of Chile from 1994 to 2000. He was also a Senate of Chile, Senator, fulfilling the role of ...

, President of Chile (1994–2000) *

Fernando Matthei Fernando Matthei Aubel (11 July 1925 – 19 November 2017) was a Chilean Air Force general who was part of the military junta that ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, replacing the dismissed Gustavo Leigh as commander-in-chief of the Chilean Air ...

, former Commander in Chief of the Chilean Air force *

Evelyn Matthei Evelyn Rose Matthei Fornet (born 11 November 1953) is a Chilean politician, who served as mayor of Providencia, Chile, Providencia, a commune in Santiago, from 2016 to 2024. She previously served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, C ...

, minister * Felipe Seymour, football (soccer) player * Ingrid Wildi Merino, video artist

References

{{Portal bar, Switzerland, Chile

European diaspora in Chile Chile–Switzerland relations

Immigration to Chile

Mass immigration

Notable Chileans of Swiss descent

See also

References